re: Get Real, Robert
Thanks for jumping into this one Nick. For some time now I've noticed that Mr. Clark persistently posts self-selected articles and abstracts with the deliberate intent of mischaracterizing the conditions on Mars to suit his particular views. This time he's even cherry picking what information to highlight and interpret.
But the facts are pretty simple...we don't know if we will find extant of extinct life on Mars. Nor do we know if we will find stable pockets of liquid water there. Its worth the effort to look, but lets not jump to conclusions before the search is complete. It may well be that Mars is entirely sterile.